Or: ‘What I think of it (without having seen or held it in real…..’
In 5 days, The Impossible Project will write history! They will launch the first new real ‘Polaroid’ camera in years – the first one for them, apart from the Instant Lab.
Of course they have been selling the old cameras, nicely refurbished up to now, and will continue to do so. And other firms like Mint have been doing the same, often improving vastly on the original designs.
But this one is all shiny and new!
I don’t know what to think of it’s form factor right now, I might have to hold and use one to get the idea. But it seems awkward to me. Of course, all Polaroid cameras seem awkward, so this is not the real point.
Just, to build a camera like a pyramid…. definitely twisted, if you ask me. Hope they didn’t use limestone! Or have any Illuminati lurking in their management….
Everything in this camera, from the form factor to the ring flash is innovative, fresh…. new! The specs look great, and it might be a nice thing for those having the financial means to afford the film that goes with it.
But then there’s the one thing that bothers me…. it’s got Bluetooth connectivity and an iOs app to use it’s manual mode….
WHAT???
For me, manual mode means some nice wheels and levers to operate my cameras, to set the shutter speed and aperture, to turn on and off the flash. Now if I have to take out my iPhone, launch the Impossible app, navigate to the settings and wait till they are sent to my camera (which might all be fairly fast, I have to concede), well, that takes all the fun out of manual.
And mind you, I’m perhaps the greatest iPhone and Apple fanboy around!
Why, oh why did they do that?
Why not a simple design, a mechanical aperture control, manual shutter speed setting according to a simple meter, even auto exposure according to the selected aperture, a flash switch…. AND NO BLUETOOTH!
Better battery life, a cheaper camera and much more fun to use it would be the result.
For me, unless proven otherwise, the Impossible I-1 is a no-go!
Sorry Impossible, you missed something there!
Frank Lehnen Photography 